The Plot
by RunsWithCats
Summary: Zim is different and Dib wants to know why! It's their junior year in high school and Zim is fitting perfectly into human society. Zim hasn't attempted an earth take over in a while and Dib believes he is planning something big! Zim is planning, but Dib could never imagine what! WARNING: ZimXDib eventually. Some light ZimXnew and improved Keef. Parings may go their own way.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm not crazy", Dib recited his seventeen year mantra. His classmates didn't believe him, his teachers didn't believe him, not even his own father believed him, but he knew the truth.

Dib's Journal:

_"Zim is an alien! An alien sent by the Irken Empire to invade earth! He has been living here since 5__th__ grade, that was six years ago. We are both juniors in high school now, but something has changed. Zim is no longer the literal, exclamatory little alien he was in elementary school. By the time we reached middle school, Zim was blending almost perfectly into human society. To other students, he claimed the odd behavior of his past had just been part of the "alien" game he played with me and now he found the game childish. But the greatest changes occurred in high school. He grew. Freshman year he stood at 5'11, sophomore year he grew to 6 ft., and this year he is 6'2. In the 9__th__ grade I discovered his new wig was actually real hair! I made this discovery when I tried to pull the wig off . . . Anyway! He's recently become rather reclusive. I know he's planning something! But if I didn't know for a fact that he's an alien, if I hadn't seen his true form, I would never have guessed that he—"_

"Dib!" The teen slammed his journal shut at the exclamation of his name. "Get down here now! Dad is free tonight and wants to take us out!" Dib's volatile little sister Gaz called.

"She loves him so much." Dib thought aloud. He rolled his eyes. "Forget him!" He hissed as he left the familiarity of his room to travel downstairs.

Upon entering the living room, Dib saw his father, Professor Membrane, and Gaz by the door in their coats.

"Hurry son", the Professor said in his usual perky tenor, "we don't want to lose family time."

"Family time my ass . . ." Dib murmured and received a rather severe punch to the shoulder from Gaz.

Over the years, Bloaty's deteriorated, if that was even possible, and was shut down by a health inspector. Now Gaz's restaurant of choice was Nick's, an Italian pizza parlor. Dib agreed that while the pizza was "perfecto", the service wasn't ideal. This was where Zim worked. As much as Dib hated Zim, he feared his sister far more and did not wish to evoke her wrath. And so, they always went to Nick's.

"Why look, it's my favorite family! Professor, you're off work tonight, how wonderful!" Zim purred convincingly as they entered the old brick building.

"Well hello there Zim, how's business?" The Professor replied in an almost friendly way.

"We're doing well", the alien answered forcing back a scowl that only Dib noticed. Zim found the Professor . . . irritating, to say the least.

Gaz quickly moved past Zim and headed for her usual back corner table in the darkest part of the restaurant. Zim, continuing with his waiter façade, motioned the Professor to their table so that he could walk with Dib for a moment.

"I never see you anymore Zim, been **busy**?" Dib asked.

"Have you missed **Zim**?" The alien replied mockingly. He rarely, if ever, spoke in third person anymore, but somehow it worked as a nice way to mock "the dib".

Said boy rolled his eyes dramatically.

"And yes . . ." Zim continued, his tone hitting a serious note, "I've been quite busy."

Dib's brows furrowed at Zim's response. He was very confused by it. However Zim's words didn't fill him with dread, instead it seemed dread was covering the alien's face.

Their small conversation ended as they reached Gaz's chosen table. As Dib seated himself, Zim began taking orders.

"Gaz wants pepperoni of course, Professor?"

"I'll have a Caesar salad with blue cheese dressing." Zim nodded.

"And for Dib . . . a pizza with black olives, salami, and spinach, correct?" He asked reciting Dib's usual. The teen membrane returned a sarcastic smile.

"That's disgusting." Gaz spat.

"Actually", Zim began, falsely taking Dib's side, "it's rather good. I've tried your brother's pizza and I like it."

"Well . . . Whatever", Gaz mumbled, bowing her head to hide a sudden blush.

_Wait . . . _

'Gaz blushing?' Dib thought. He looked up at Zim who was wearing a false, yet charming smile. He suddenly flipped his jaw length black hair.

'Could Gaz like Zim?!' He pondered. 'No way!'

"I thought you couldn't eat meat?" Dib accused hoping to rip that fake smile from Zim's lips.

But the alien's smile didn't falter, quite the opposite. Zim's grin spread, he placed his elbows on the table and leaned close to Dib's face.

"You get that same combination every time you come in here. I decided to brave the pain to learn a little about my best friend's **tastes**." The alien said the word "tastes" breathily making Dib gulp.

"Zim!" Called a booming Italian voice. Zim quickly turned and disappeared into the back of the restaurant.

'What was that weirdo on about?' Dib thought uncomfortably and slumped down into his seat.

"Have you ever thought about getting a job, Son? You're going to need one if you're ever going to make any money. You certainly won't make any as a paranormal investigator." Professor Membrane said almost casually.

"Dad! How can you say that?" Dib cried.

"Well, look at Zim. He used to be so odd and now he's a contributing member of society." The Professor said as a matter-of-factly.

"He's an alien." Dib mumbled, looking away. Professor Membrane began rubbing his chin.

"Ah yes, the skin condition." As his father spoke, Dib saw Zim coming out of the back and immediately began shooting daggers at the alien with his eyes. Zim responded by blinking his eyes, revealing his alien magenta orbs. Dib gaped at him. Zim blinked once more and his eyes returned to normal.

"I'd really love to have a skin sample from that boy", Professor Membrane continued . . .

Then Zim flashed a false smile and flipped his hair.

"Perhaps we could cure his green skin disease!"

—

"Working at that restaurant is so beneath me." Zim spoke, laying his things by the front door. He had a real home now: a large loft with Irken style décor and within his bedroom closet, a teleporter to a cloaked base orbiting the earth.

Zim made his way to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. A moment or two passed, before he heard a familiar scurrying sound.

"Master!" A high pitched voice called.

"Yes Gir?" Zim said, his voice muffled by the pillow his face was pressed against.

"Um . . . Hm . . . Well . . ." The little robot sputtered nervously.

"You know that I am not patient." The alien hissed.

"The Tallest called you!"

Zim lifted his head, opened his eyes and stood wordlessly. He entered his closet and said "computer transport". Within seconds he was standing on the observation platform of his orbiting base.

"Computer, connect me to the Massive." Zim grimaced while waiting for his "leaders" to respond.

"Zim!"

"My Tallest!" Zim answered without performing the Irken salute. Not that he ever had, but back then he was too lost in his PAC induced insanity. Now that he had the mind to know to do it, he sure as hell wasn't going to. "Why is it that I am graced with your call?" He asked, forcing the distain from his voice. As he spoke, he paced around in front of the view screen, flaunting his newly developed height.

"Zim", Purple said, you're still alive!"

Zim choked back some bile as he watched Purple gorge on snacks.

"Apparently, that would be an intelligent observation." Zim replied, extremely unnerved.

"It's just, we haven't heard from you in . . ." Red searched for the right amount of time.

"In four rotations around the Irken sun, three earth years, what's your point?" Zim stated quickly.

Purple spilled his chips. The Tallest turned to face each other, shock written across their faces. Zim sounded . . . Intelligent! There was a long pause before Zim finally broke the silence.

"If you have nothing more to say . . ." As he spoke, Zim reached for the disconnect button.

"No, no, no!" The Tallest cried together. "We'd like a report", Red said grinning, "it has been a long time."

"Of course, my Tallest." Zim obeyed, smirking inwardly.

'Tallest? Not even! You are only Dib's height, 5'11. I am 6'2, taller than my Tallest!' He thought and snickered.

"Gir!" He exclaimed, "bring me my data pad!" When the tiny robot appeared beside him, his "Tallest" would realize what stood before them.

The tiny robot zipped over to his side and handed him a thin, translucent data pad. In comparison to the tiny robot, Zim was a giant. His height was now obvious.

"At the beginning of my third year on this planet, I successfully implanted mind control devices within the brains of all leaders important to this world."

"Zim . . . Are you taller?" Purple questioned in disbelief, dropping his jelly donut.

Zim rolled his eyes at the interruption. He played dumb and looked himself over.

"I don't believe so . . . Wasn't I always like this?" He asked, feigning innocence.

The two leaders shook their heads.

"Well maybe I've grown slightly; the gravity here is less dense than on Irk."

"And what were you saying, your report?" Red interjected.

Zim repeated himself with great annoyance.

"Things have actually gotten better since I started controlling this planet's leaders." Zim added with an obvious smirk.

"So you mean to tell us you are secretly ruling then planet?" Purple questioned.

"Yes." Zim almost hissed. Red crossed his arms and leaned back in his large comfy chair.

"Well then the Armada will arrive in three months for conquest." Purple looked at Red in confusion and started tugging on his wrist.

"Oh my Tallest, the Armada will not be necessary for this pitiful planet. The Massive will suffice." Zim purred persuasively. Red nodded and ended the communication. Purple immediately turned to him, warranting an explanation.

"What are you thinking?!" Purple exclaimed. Red grabbed his shoulders to calm him.

"You saw how tall he was! He is a threat!" Red whispered, already fearing Zim's height could be discovered.

"Then what do we do?" Purple asked nervously.

"We humor him." Red said, gazing back to the viewing screen, "and pray to Irk Zim's intelligence didn't grow with his height."


	2. Chapter 2

"I know you're planning something!" Dib whispered, slamming his locker.

"You don't have to whisper, Dib, everyone already knows you're crazy, you don't have to hide it . . ." Zim responded smartly.

"Zim!? What the—you know I'm not crazy!" The teen lashed out defensively.

"Then if you want to spend time with me, just say so. You don't have to make things up. Stop pretending you don't miss me," Zim teased, reaching his hand out and playing with a stray piece of Dib's hair. The teen swatted the green hand away.

"For the last time: I don't miss you, I need to protect earth!" Dib roared. Zim mumbled something crude in Irken before slamming his locker and focusing on Dib.

"Look," Zim sighed, amazed at what he was doing, "you don't have to worry about Zim." Dib raised an eyebrow at the alien's use of third person.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused by his enemies behavior.

Zim sighed again. At some point he knew Dib would come in handy and he did feel he shared some slight similarities with the human.

_Slight._

"The earth is in no danger from me," The alien revealed.

"Is that why your base is gone? You've given up? You're leaving?" Dib said excitedly, rushing his words. "Not that I want you to go," he said reaching out to Zim. Then he pulled his hand back quickly. "N-Not that I want you to stay either!" He exclaimed, thoroughly embarrassed.

Zim rubbed his temples.

'Why must he talk so fast?' He pondered, then smiled softly and looked into Dib's frosty blue eyes. 'And why is this human so beautiful?'

"No, I'm not leaving," he answered, "I live somewhere else now and I . . ." Zim paused suddenly then leaned into Dib's face and whispered harshly, "Zim never gives up!"

Dib turned his face away from Zim's.

"Yah ok, I got it, just back off."

Zim raised his hands and backed up as requested. He wanted Dib's help, not a fight. Not that the "almighty Zim" needed help . . .

"You wish to know what's going on, what I'm planning?" The alien asked.

Dib nodded.

"Then meet me after school." He said quickly and left. Dib re-adjusted his glasses.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" He yelled after Zim, who was already turning the corner. Dib crossed his arms and scowled.

'He's a completely different person now,' the teen thought leaning against his locker, 'I'm glad he isn't leaving . . .' Dib smiled subconsciously. He soon realized what had formed on his lips and grabbed thick locks of his long black hair.

"Why am I smiling?!" He exclaimed. A guy at the locker beside him turned to Dib and shouted:

"Why do you talk to yourself?!"

—

The school library was huge and smelled of old books and paper. Zim loved that smell and the silence. Oh, the sweet silence!

Almost every day the alien would skip lunch to spend time in the library working the kinks out of his "plan".

Riley O'Keef, Zim noticed, was always skipping lunch as well to occupy the far most corner table; the most solitary spot in the library.

How Zim wanted that spot!

And he wouldn't mind sharing with Keef—Riley that is. The teen had changed a lot since elementary school. He was rather popular actually and held casual friendships with a large percentage of their class. He dressed well and sported a fashionable, short haircut.

All in all, Riley was a cool kid. But Zim couldn't forget their past. It was awkward to say the least. Zim shuddered to think what a complete and utter moron he had been in what he liked to call his "earthen youth". And that's how he had acted, like a child.

A stupid, selfish, braggadocios, violent child!

It was all thanks to Dib he wasn't that child anymore. During a fight, Dib damaged the PAK connectors on his back. When Zim's PAK would no longer attach, he believed he would die. Supposedly, Irkens weren't able to survive without their PAKs. But Zim didn't die. Instead, he discovered the true purpose of the PAKs.

For the Tallest to hold complete control over all Irkens.

Looking back, without the PAK to skew or distort Zim's memories, he saw that he had been terribly cruel to the boy now known as Riley. When Zim befriended him, Riley had only acted as a normal human child. Things like "hanging out "and "talking on the phone" in his clouded, paranoid mind, had translated to "obsession". They were friends for three days before Zim disposed of him.

So how could he now just walk over to a boy he'd probably scarred for life and say:

"Mind if I join you?"

Zim clenched his fists and mentally growled: 'I am Zim!' He recited as he had only a few years ago. 'Something so simple is no problem for the mighty Zim!'

He paused in the nonfiction section to scoff at himself.

'Did I really used to talk that way?' He thought incredulously, 'And it used to give me so much confidence . . . Now I'm just embarrassed for myself.'

He was very close to that back corner table, now was the time to make a decision. The teen would either say yes, or no, and it wasn't like Zim would be sitting there for Riley anyway, just the spot.

"Hello Riley, mind if I sit here?" Zim asked as politely as possible.

"Hm?" The teen responded, lifting his eyes slowly from his book. When he saw who it was that had addressed him, his face matched his bright red hair.

"You—you wanna sit with me?"

"This is the best spot in the library," Zim whispered, already sitting down.

"Oh," Riley whispered back and returned to his book.

"And uh . . . Riley?" Zim began, rather timidly.

"Yes?" The boy answered his eyes back on Zim.

"Just so I don't feel awkward, I'm um . . . Sorry for the way I treated you those three days in elementary school," Zim said. He had decided to be straight forward and do his best to resolve anything uncomfortable between them. His face was serious and his eyes were locked on Riley's crimson colored face.

The blushing boy's eyes widened, then he smiled unexpectedly. Riley waved a hand in the air as if to shoo the apology away.

"Please forget about it!" The red head said quickly and returned to his book.

Zim stared at the teen in surprise. He couldn't believe how painless the apology had been. He had thought Riley might be holding a grudge or at least be afraid of him. Humans always acted differently than he expected.

'I guess he's fine,' Zim thought.

"You've obviously acquired medicine," Zim perked up at the sound of Riley's soft voice. He looked over to him; the teen's face was still in his book when he spoke again. "For whatever mental problems you have." Riley said frankly and flipped a page of his book.

The alien's jaw dropped. At first he thought his blood would boil but instead he had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

Riley looked up at him, a huge grin on his face. They looked at each other, fighting back laughter until they both calmed.

"While I didn't expect that," Zim began, clearing his throat, a little drunk from all the laughter, "it was well deserved."

"I think so," Riley responded, now resting his chin on his fist.

"Psh!" Zim muttered, but this time Riley did not look up from his book.

The alien sighed contented and opened his laptop, or rather, an Irken computer disguised as an earth computer. Zim went straight to an encrypted file. It was filled with schematics, secret military plans, and other highly classified bits of info that not even the high ranked Irken invaders were allowed access to.

How did Zim acquire this intel?

He hacked the PAKs of the Irken elite! Zim had to admit it was a low move but he desperately needed the information if his plan was going to work. It would be the grandest coup d'état in the history of the universe.

Striking down the corrupt Irken Empire.

'Not long,' he thought as he typed, 'and all my brothers and sisters shall be free from the control of the PAKs,' he grimaced, 'free from the Tallest!'

"Zim!" Riley called, standing beside the alien, his things already in his satchel. "The bell is ringing." Zim hit a few keys quickly locking up his files. He closed his laptop and picked up his bag.

"You didn't have to wait for me," the alien whispered to Riley. The teen's skin flushed once again.

"I wasn't!" He exclaimed, and then blushed darker when the librarian hushed him. "I mean . . . Our classes are on the same hall so, I thought we could walk together," he explained awkwardly. Zim chuckled,

"Sure, I'd like that."

"As long as you keep taking your medicine anyway," Riley added and walked ahead, looking back only to smile victoriously at Zim. The alien grinned and shook his head.

"I'll take it every day," he spoke softly and chased after Riley.

—

It was seventh period. Dib sat in AP English doodling mindlessly in his journal. Occasionally, Dib would look up at his teacher, Ms. Hermus, and knit his eyebrows together, feigning the appearance of deep thought. Ms. Hermus almost topped Ms. Bitters in the bad teacher department. She found metaphors within metaphors, and foreshadowing between each line. Not every color, texture, and sound had a deep hidden meaning.

Sometimes, the sky is just blue.

Dib usually spent the entirety of her pointless lectures writing in his journal about Zim. But today had been different. There was nothing to write, and nothing to say. Ever since his earlier conversation with Zim, he hadn't known what to do with himself. He just kept thinking and thinking. Overthinking. And it was messing up his big head.

'Six years,' he thought.

Six years he'd been the self-proclaimed protector of earth. Six years he'd been watching Zim, ready for battle, no matter when or where. Six years he'd made everyone believe he was crazy. He'd made his father believe he was crazy—no, not crazy; Just a disappointment.

'All for that stupid alien! A stupid alien who isn't even doing what he came here to do!' Dib's mind was raging. What was his purpose? Who was he now?

_Zim is no longer an Invader._

_Earth is safe._

Over and over, Dib read the last two lines of his journal. The teen clicked his pen and the point retreated. Dib's heart rate slowed and he fell from anger to depression. He flipped through the pages of his journal.

'Here's the proof right in front of me,' he thought with a satirical chuckle, 'written proof that for the past six years my every thought has revolved around Zim.'

"I'm obsessed," Dib stated, feeling terribly self-aware. Then Dib became aware of his classmates, who were staring at him . . . The teen genius frowned.

'I've gotta quit talking to myself,' he thought embarrassed.

"That's exactly right Dib!"

The entire class, including the "one more self-realization from a mental breakdown" Dib, looked back to their teacher.

"Our character is unnaturally obsessed with his rival, almost to the point of infatuation," Ms. Hermus explained.

That was it. Mental breakdown.

Dib grabbed his things and stood so quickly, it shook his desk making it grate against the floor.

"I need to be excused. I'm feeling extremely nauseous!" Dib exclaimed, dizzy from standing too fast. He stumbled to the door and exited the classroom. He left behind a disturbed, (but less surprised than you'd think) classroom.

Once in the hallway, Dib pressed his back against the cool concrete wall. He felt feverish and his heart couldn't have been beating faster.

Ms. Hermus looked around her classroom with a cheeky smile and giggled.

"Doesn't Mr. Membrane have a certain **green** rival?" She questioned knowingly, raising a lone eyebrow.

"Zim!" Dib cried, nearly dropping his journal at the sight of the alien strolling down the hallway. "What are you doing here?" Zim studied the teen. His face was flushed and his voice held a nervous tremor. The alien smirked.

"Well, this is the high school I attend, the bell is about to ring, and I came to wait for you." Zim replied calmly. Dib clenched both his fists and gritted his teeth.

"I already told you, I'm not going anywhere with you!" He barked, his eyes blazing with stubborn fury. Dib was so loud, the entire english hall could hear his every word . . .

Zim face palmed, and then dragged his hand down his face, exasperated.

"You want to know my plans, but you won't let me tell you what they are, how does that make sense?" The alien asked, feeling disappointed and thoroughly confused.

"You're done with earth," Dib spat, "you're done with me."

Zim closed the distance between them and with a cocky smirk leaned close to Dib's face.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

Dib's entire body seemed to burn at Zim's statement and its implications. He pushed the alien away violently but Zim just laughed. Dib covered his ears roughly, unable to bear being laughed at by the alien.

'I don't care if I'm in denial,' he thought.

"I am not obsessed with you!" He yelled while staring directly at Zim. Dib paled and covered his mouth almost instantly after he spoke. His entire body froze solid. Then Dib watched in horror as an almost evil grin spread across Zim's face.

"So you're obsessed with me, huh?" The ex-invader said thoughtfully.

Dib gulped hard and forced an awkward smile.

"N—No, I was just thinking out loud!" He pretended to laugh and rubbed the back of his hair.

"Yah," Zim began, his eyes scanning all over Dib, "thinking about me." The teen shook his head furiously and started backing away. Every step he took back, Zim took one forward.

"I'm not done with you Dib," Zim said, his voice completely serious. "But I am done with social formalities." He grabbed Dib by the wrist roughly. "Did I ever say your planet was safe?" He exclaimed, shaking Dib's arm.

The teen's eyes flew wide open.

"And now we all know," Ms. Hermus said, closing her book, "who Dib is infatuated with."


	3. Chapter 3

(Author's Note: Sorry . . . For taking an eternity to update! For some reason it took me forever to decide what to write and I didn't want to force the story! On another note, if I do decide to stop working on this, I'll let the world know. I hate when suddenly something I enjoy reading just stops without word. Now, without further ramblings on my part, please enjoy chapter three!)

* * *

Gaz Membrane waved goodbye to her band mates as they left her garage. She checked her smart phone and noted it was six-fifty. The teen rolled her eyes. At this time every Thursday, her unbearable older brother was already hogging the couch, prepping for Mysterious Mysteries, which would air in ten minutes. Gaz entered her living room and froze. The couch was barren, the TV was off, and Dib was . . .

Outside?

She snuck across the room and peeped into her backyard from behind heavy curtains.

"Dib is outside . . . With Zim?!" Gaz whispered in surprise. The teen's curiosity led her to hide behind the curtain for at least thirty minutes, studying the scene before her.

Zim and Dib were seated on the swings of Gaz and Dib's childhood swing set. There was no violence or yelling, only what appeared to be a calm discussion. Through the progression of the conversation, Zim had pounded his fist against his palm, clutched at his chest, motioned to the earth, and pointed at the sky. Contrarily, Dib expressed very little physically. He merely removed his glasses and rubbed his face.

"I've got to find out what those two are—" as Gaz turned around, she bumped into a small robot.

"Dad!"

"Daughter, don't spy on your brother and his odd green friend," the Professor scolded via the two-way view screen on the face of the robot.

"But Dad! They aren't friends, something weird is going on!" Gaz explained in a low whisper.

"They look rather friendly to me . . ." Pro. Membrane pointed out. Gaz growled in response.

"It's weird!"

The professor sighed and leaned closer to the view screen.

"Daughter, one day you'll have to accept that your brother is insane—"

"He's different but not—"

"Did practice go well today?"

"Yes . . ." Gaz answered nervously.

"Remember our agreement?" The Professor asked, raising an eyebrow.

The teen frowned and crossed her arms.

"No homework, no band," Gaz murmured and immediately stomped towards her room.

"I love you daughter!" Pro. Membrane called after her. He turned and looked out the window once more before returning to work.

"My poor insane son."

* * *

"How could you of all people not believe me?" Zim exclaimed in frustration, violently gripping the swing chains.

"I never said I didn't believe you," Dib reiterated, "its just a lot to take in." As if he'd not even heard Dib's response, Zim continued.

"Everyone said you were crazy for believing I was an alien, but I never doubted you!"

Dib gawked at Zim incredulously.

"Do you hear yourself? You idiot!" The teen spat and placed his glasses back on his nose. "Of course you wouldn't doubt me," Zim nodded in agreement as Dib spoke, "you **know** you are an alien!" Dib shouted. Zim slowly stopped nodding.

"Well . . . At least I never denied it!" The alien added with a weak smile and an awkward chuckle. Dib flew from his swing, pointing at Zim accusingly.

"Yes you did, everyday!" Dib roared and began rubbing his face. "Zim has a skin condition," he mocked in a high-pitched voice, impersonating the alien. Zim brushed Dib's hand away.

"Pointing is considered rude on this planet, is it not?" Zim returned sarcastically. Dib reached down, grabbed Zim by the collar, and pulled him from the swing.

"What do you care about **my** planet?" The teen questioned in a cold and spiteful voice. The boy's faces were mere inches apart. Zim hurriedly averted his eyes and Dib pushed him away.

_Because this is your planet._

"Isn't it true that I'm different? You know I've changed!" Zim said, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Answer my question," Dib commanded forcefully.

_Because this is your planet._

"I'm not an invader anymore!" Zim stated, desperately trying to change the subject, afraid he might say what kept forcing its way into mind.

"I said answer me!" Dib barked.

"Because—" Zim began in a shout then paused. He looked directly into Dib's eyes. "I won't let the same evil that enslaved my people, and so many others, enslave yours as well," the alien answered earnestly and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, Dib found himself gazing into Zim's alien magenta orbs.

"I help you protect your planet, and you help me save mine," the alien explained with a smile and an extended hand, "common courtesy between allies."

As Dib raised his hand, he realized it was trembling.

'Is this okay?' He thought, 'Can I trust Zim?'

"Allies . . ." The teen repeated softly, Zim nodded.

Dib suddenly reached out and clutched the alien's cold hand. He'd lived for seventeen years and had never once had a friend. No one had ever believed in him, or recognized who he was. He had begun to think that maybe he was crazy . . . To have an ally, to have a friend; it was worth the risk of trusting Zim.

A small smile found its way to Dib's lips as he shook hands with the alien. To his amazement, he felt no desire to force it away.

"So . . . I saved you?" Dib stated with a smirk.

Zim gritted his teeth and squeezed the teen's hand roughly.

'Why did I ever say that?' He mentally chided.

"I never said that."

Dib laughed and returned to his swing, while Zim remained standing.

"You said that during our last fight at the Crazy Taco, I damaged your PAK so badly, it would no longer connect to your back, am I right?" Dib summarized what Zim had explained earlier.

The alien glared at him and mumbled in Irken.

"Yes."

"And supposedly, Irkens can't live without their PAKs, but you lived and when your mind cleared, you decided to dissect the PAK. You discovered that your leaders, the Tallest and Irken elite, have been controlling your entire race through the PAKs. This is true as well?"

"Yes," Zim nearly hissed.

"Then you said that I was the one who freed you from the PAK and "saved" you from your leaders," Dib smirked, "you do remember that, don't you?" Dib was practically beaming, watching Zim in such discomfort. He had been wondering if Zim really was a different person, apparently, the alien was haughty as ever.

Then Zim started smiling, then chuckling, then cackling, the very same evil laugh from their youth.

"You lie!" Zim yelled, almost making Dib fall out of his swing in shock. At first, the teen felt a shiver of fear that this wasn't his new friend, but the same crazy old, world domination bent alien he used to know.

"Calm down, Dib, I was only joking," Zim reaffirmed with an honest laugh. "See you later," he said, holding his hands behind his back and turning to walk away. He paused just before leaving Dib's back yard and added,

"Filthy human."

After Zim had gone, Dib found himself swinging back and forth. He gazed up at the stars and smiled.

"Zim hasn't changed at all."

* * *

Meanwhile . . .

In the ready room of the Massive, Tallest Red and Tallest Purple, (Tallest Red), were discussing top-secret information with three members of the Irken Elite, three members who, in recent months, claimed that their PAKs had been hacked.

"I don't see why it matters anyhow, it's not like your PAKs are real," Purple stated and took a long swig of an Irken soda. Tallest Red slapped his counterpart upside the back of his head.

"You moron . . . While their PAKs aren't controlling them," Red paused to smile at their high-ranking guests, "the PAKs do serve a purpose." Purple slammed his soda onto the table.

"Well then what do they do?" He exclaimed in annoyance.

"Within them we carry highly classified information . . ." Home World Overseer Lan spoke softly.

"And now that information is in the hands of an unknown individual, most likely, a dissenter and there is no way to identify what information they copied," added Irken Task Force Commander Korp.

"Is there any possibility it could be a Vortian?" Red suggested focusing on the Task Force Commander.

"It is possible, but unlikely. Not even a Vortian who worked in our military research facility on Vort would have the knowledge to hack a PAK," Korp rubbed his forehead and stared at the table, his anxiety obvious.

"Is there something else you'd like to say, Commander Korp?" Tallest Red questioned.

"Well, my Tallest, I've been with the Task Force for more rotations of the Irken sun than I can count. I've worked with our most advanced technology and yet, I could never do what this hacker did," Commander Korp admitted.

Tallest Red palled to a light green and clenched his fist visibly on the table. In a noticeably enraged, but controlled voice, Red asked Korp the obvious question.

"What did this hacker do?"

Korp sighed nervously and looked back to the table again.

"This individual used an offline PAK to hack into our PAKs from an unknown location and . . ." the commander gulped hard, "they left no trail."

Tallest Red covered his mouth and leaned back in his chair. Purple looked from Red to Korp, from Red to Korp while sipping his soda, quite entertained.

"So let me get my facts straight, we have no idea who this hacker is, where they are, or how to trace them?" Red asked, his razor teeth showing with every word.

"No . . ." Korp answered slowly, "we do not."

"Actually, we do", a steady, confident voice came from the end of the ready room table.

"We do?" Tallest Purple restated.

"We do, my Almighty Tallest Purple."

"That's impossible!" Commander Korp exclaimed, standing and slamming his hands on the table. "I've gone over it thousands of times!"

The guest at the end of the table grinned wide, revealing sharpened, trademark, Irken teeth.

"You're an idiot." At this statement, Korp slowly retook his seat. "Did anyone think to check the PAK control module? It has a data base of every PAK and would release an alert if one were to go offline." The guest explained.

"Why yes," Red coughed, "of course! Now, where is this module again?" Tallest Red had absolutely no idea this module even existed, until now.

"Oh my Tallest Red, what a comedian you are!" The guest responded, knowing from the start the Tallest knew nothing of the module. "It's on the Massive's engineering deck."

"We must go there at once—" Red began, but was interrupted by their informed guest.

"There is no need Almighty Red, I've already been, and there is only one PAK that is offline."

"Who, who, who!" Purple chanted.

"The leading numbers are 000 and . . . I think you can guess the rest." The room grew deathly still as Tallest Red and Tallest Purple looked at each other knowingly.

"Zim!"


End file.
